Ministers wary of their future amid PDI-P lead

By Kornelius Purba

JAKARTA (JP): As creeping poll results show a consistent lead for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), several Cabinet ministers and senior officials have become more anxious about their future in Habibie's camp.

Campaigns from President B.J. Habibie's camp are intensifying for more support for his election, while ministers and officials are looking after the fate of their own destinies.

Many have become more friendly recently with journalists, seeking an update on political gossip.

"By the way, what do you think about Pak Habibie's future?" Minister of Public Works Rachmadi Bambang Sumadhijo asked a journalist last week after a long conversation in his office.

Last week, an assistant to Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and Administrative Reforms Hartarto, approached some reporters and also asked them about his boss' career.

"If he is finished then we have to jump to another boat," the assistant whispered while watching his boss from a distance.

State Minister of Women Affairs Tutty Alawiyah has quickly softened her opposition of Megawati Soekarnoputri. She had described Megawati as incapable of holding the post, but later she said she was happy with a female presidential candidate.

Habibie's close friends and associates have set up a task force to ensure his election.

While some had initially underestimated Megawati, many, including palace staff, and chairman and deputy of the Supreme Advisory Council, A.A. Baramuli and Achmad Tirtosudiro respectively, have begun to refer to her with the respectful title of Ibu instead of only her name.

A palace official describes the current renovation of the State Palace as preparations to welcome a new president.

The official recalled how former president Soeharto renovated State Palace not long before Habibie replaced him in May last year. The official said Soeharto was then not preparing the palace for a successor.

"The palace girl will return home soon," the official said of Megawati. Megawati with her two brothers and three sisters grew up at the State Palace when their father, Sukarno, was president.

The State Secretariat office gave special attention recently to Megawati's half-brother Bayu Soekarnoputra, who works as a low ranking employee at the secretariat's Foreign Technical Cooperation Bureau.

"He has been ignored for years," one official acknowledged.

Habibie has said that his wife, Hasri Ainun, and his two sons, Ilham Akbar and Thareq Kemal, prefer that he did not seek the next term, to enable him to be closer to his family, including four grandchildren.

Habibie also plans to write books and give lectures at internationally recognized universities in Europe or in the United States if he leaves the palace this year.

"Pak Habibie feels he has done his best to lead the nation in a transition to the gate of democracy," a close relative said last month.

However, his inner-circle associates, friends and Golkar want him to continue his one-year tenure with a five-year term, saying he is the most capable leader to ensure the process to democracy.

"The President is often too sincere, and even sometimes naive, and many of them just exploit him for their own vested interests," a government official, who is close to Habibie's activities, said on Thursday with regard to the many proposals for his election "for the sake of the nation".

A number of scandals involving palace staff and Cabinet members have been described as "shock therapy" for such "arrogant" officials by one palace source.

One of his most trusted ministers, Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi Sasono, turned out to be a nominated presidential candidate by another party, the People's Sovereignty Party.

Adi repeated denials that he helped to found the party, which also had to face allegations that it was misusing the social safety fund and Adi's ministry to secure votes.

The party, one of many new parties, has not fared well in provisional results. Sources say he was treated in Singapore after being shocked by the poll results but a close associate of Adi said the treatment had nothing to do with the tallying.

The President has met with United Development Party chairman Hamzah Haz, the founder of National Awakening Party Abdurrahman Wahid, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung and National Mandate Party leader Amien Rais.

The meetings were a bid to explore more support for his nomination, palace sources said. Megawati is the only party leader who has not shown interest in meeting the President.

"There is no obligation to meet with the President. It was only Soeharto's habit," a senior advisor of the chairwoman, Sabam Sirait, said in a television interview.

The President is confident that Golkar's support for him will remain solid despite some mixed statements from the party leaders regarding his presidential nomination, palace sources say.

"Pak Akbar is indebted to the President, but politics remains politics," one aide told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

On the presidential election, Minister of Defense and Security/Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto has said that TNI would heed the people's aspiration.

"What I say is exactly the same as what I have in my mind and in my heart," Wiranto said on Wednesday, dismissing speculations that the military had hidden plans for the presidential election.